Another place to pickup power might be the microwave outlet. Might need to drill a hole in the top of that cabinet.

I forgot to mention that at one installation, they did just that. See the attached picture. In most cases you can paint the wire molding the same color as the wall to blend in. If you still don't like seeing the ethernet cable, you can remove the ethernet cable from the back of the RJ45 jack in the box behind the outlet and use a special ethernet connector to run an extension through the wall and come out on top of the cabinets. This is pretty easy to do and you don't see any wires.

The microwave technically is supposed to be on it's own circuit which it still would be and the WiFi device draws such low power that it should be a non-issue.

Are there any electricians out there who can "weigh-in" on this?

Not an electrician but still know that if you plug something into the circuit the microwave is on then the microwave is no longer on its own circuit, technically or in any other way.

That said, most countertop microwaves are not on their own circuit and the router should draw much less power than a toaster.

I agree. Using the microwave outlet should be fine. At the end of the day I feel jumpering the switch or removing it and putting a blank plate in its place to make the existing outlet over the cabinets live is the best solution because in all the installations I've been at, most use an wifi switch so they can turn these lights on and off either with Alexa or Google.

I just want to point out that the recommendations in this thread are suggestions for best placement of the WiFi device no matter if it's from Quantum, Centric, Cable, or even if you use your own WiFi system. There are other placements in the home that will also work fairly well. Again the coverage you get will depend on the type of building materials used, block, tilt wall, or stick built, plus the size and room layout of your specific home.

I was also reading a couple of studies done concerning wireless vs wired internet in your home and the studies show with the newer WiFi mesh devices available today, depending on your specific needs, the devices are so good and easy to install by the averager consumer that there is no need to wire your home with ethernet any more. I agree with this from my experience but if I have an ethernet jack by my desktop computer or TV, I would probably connect it hardwired just because it's there for any extra reliability. If not, wireless would be fine.

This is exactly what I did in my Jasmine. It is right next to the ethernet port in the kitchen plugged in and with a short ethernet chord connected. However, you can't see it because I had them mount it upside down underneath the corner cabinet. Only one problem is the bracket they use stinks so the thing fell off. Zip ties to the rescue - I zip tied it to the bracket and you can't even see it if you know it is there, and it is very secure.

I want to add that I agree with the OP - the kitchen is the place to be with this. The range on Quantum fiber pods is pretty amazing, I can go out to the very edge of my Birdcage, which is almost at the edge of my property and I still measure about 75 MBPS speeds, which is enough to stream 4k video if I want.

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but Quantum fiber even has Wifi 7 capability which is way faster than Wifi 5 or even Wifi 6. There are actually only the latest versions of cell phones like my Pixel 9 pro that can even use or measure it. Even the new LG G4 TV I just bought only uses wifi 6, which is actually very fast.

I could not be happier that I switched to Quantum fiber. My wallet is happy too, since it is less than half what I was paying spectrum.

Thanks for the information on your installation. Yes, I've installed the Main WiFi pod under the cabinet, see attached. It also works well. These pictures are looking up to the bottom of the cabinet so you can see the installation. When looking in a normal manner at the cabinets all you see is the ethernet plug and a/c adaptor.

If you have Quantum Fiber and are paying more than $50 for the 500 Gbs service, log on to your Quantum account at q.com and look at your current subscription. There will be a button that says "change". Click it and you should see the latest prices and the $50 offer. Click on it and you will have to re-input your payment information and you will get the cheaper price. I noticed some Villagers who signed up for Quantum a year or two ago may be paying more than the $50 offer and it's easy to change.

What's good about Quantum is, when they run a promotion like they did last December, $35 for 1Gbs, It's usually good for Both New and Existing customers but you will need to log into their web site to apply it to your account. Just remember once you have your service in place Do Not change anything like put the service on pause or you could loose your "deal".

Every once in a while I hear a Villager say something like they have Quantum Fiber and they are getting buffering on their TV.

This is "always" due to some placement issue with the main WiFi Pod.

If you have this problem or know of anyone with this problem please reach out to me. I will fix it Free of Charge. Most of the time it's a simple fix.

I also found if you have the old Wifi Pod system and have less then 4 pods including extenders, you can go to the Quantum web site and under your subscription, click on 360 wifi and request to add a pod. When you do this they will send you the new Wifi 7 system at no charge and you just need to send back all the old pods using the UPS store. In most cases all you will need is the main Wi-Fi 7 pod and maybe one extender in some very large homes. Very simple and I can also help you do this.

Just send me a PM, Thanks, John

Centric Fiber Setup for New Home and Appreciations to John
 

First and foremost, I think I speak for most on this thread in thanking you, John. You're expertise ("Can you hear me now?" :icon_wink:) and kindness to the community are much appreciated.

For those of you, like us, who may have purchased a new build, labelled "SMART HOME READY" in your Sales Agreement, and equipped with Centric Fiber, I wanted to share my thought here noting that I have not yet been down to see the home in person yet (although my wife has).

INSTALLED EQUIPMENT:
Inside the low voltage box in your garage, your home should have an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) which is equivalent to a modem for non-fiber (i.e. cable) (e.g. Optimum) service. This device translates the light over fiber into electrical over Category (Cat) 5/6 cable and is provided by Centric Fiber.

You should also have a Wi-Fi gateway installed in the back of the kitchen cabinet about your refrigerator. This gateway, the Centric Fiber Mini Gateway, connects to the ONT through a Cat 6 cable that is already connected. As with the ONT, this device is also provided by Centric Fiber and it support Wi-Fi 6 which lacks the 6Ghz band of newer Wi-Fi standards, Wi-Fi 6e and Wi-Fi 7, but it should be more than enough for 99% of us.

I've attached a photo of our Centric Fiber Mini Gateway in our kitchen cabinet for reference. I'm not sure why, but it looks like the yellow CAT 6 cable is connecting an Ethernet Port in this cabinet to something below it, but it might be just coming from beneath the cabinet and plugging directly into the gateway.

PRE-WIRED LAN/ETHERNET PORTS: Your Sales Agreement should also have a few line items labelled "D-C-R" for "DATA-CABLE-RECEPT" followed by the room in which your Ethernet (RJ-45) port terminates and cable type (e.g. "LIVING ROOM (CAT6-DATA, RG-6 QUAD SHIELD-CABLE)"). For our home, as with most I suspect, we had Ethernet ports in three locations: the Lanai, the Living Room, and the Master Bedroom. NOTE: You should see these three cables hanging/strapped within the low voltage box, but NOT connected to anything.

In order to use them and "activate" your local/wired ports, you will need to install a device called a switch which connects to the gateway and (hopefully / I think) directly to the ONT. But you will need to call Centric and have them activate that LAN port on the ONT. You can either have Centric install the switch too or buy one from Amazon for $20 and have jrref or someone install it for you: you basically connect the switch to the gateway (and hopefully ONT) via a patch cable and then just plug in each of the 3 LAN/Ethernet runs where are, again, typically hardwired for the Lanai, Living Room, and Master Bedroom.

Since these are ports hardwired, but not active and it's only one-time setup/fee, I would recommend activating them, especially if you're connecting a TV on the other end (which it likely why they chose these three rooms).

For the advanced user, there are a couple other things to consider:

-You may also want to consider upgrading your wireless kit internally by replacing the gateway and/or installing additional access points. Again, for the vast majority, the Centric Fiber Mini Gateway supporting Wi-Fi 6 should be more than enough, but to future-proof your network and add range/strength - especially for newer homes with precast concrete walls - you may want to:

(a) replace this gateway with one supporting Wi-Fi 7 which open the 6GHz channel and provides Multi-Link Operation (MLO) in which, for devices that support it, you can connect to TWO wireless networks and see speeds > 1GB even though your ISP may only provide that bandwidth!

(b) add wireless access points which essentially amplify your range and are typically also hardwired via RJ45 to provide a "backhaul" channel for nonessential data which will greatly improve on any mesh network. (This is true for those of you with non-fiber mesh networks like Google Nest Wifi or Netgear Orbi).

-You also may want want to add a local storage unit known as a Network-Attached Storage (NAS). The reason I suggest this is because you might love Amazon's Ring doorbell, but don't want to pay the monthly subscription fee and/or send your sensitive video data to Amazon. Again this is probably overkill for most, and you likely can get by with local data storage (SD card, e.g.) without a monthly subscription, but it's an option to consider especially if you stream local media.

I'm not an expert here - and likely screwed up the direct LAN connection to ONT above - but wanted to provide additional thought here.

John / jjref, your corrections/thoughts?

Thanks for the kind words. Just to clarify, the fiber optic cable from Centric comes into your home via the low voltage data cabinet in the garage and then goes to the wifi router in the kitchen. So, it's fiber all the way to the kitchen. There the router has a 4 port switch where you can connect the Cat6 ethernet cable also in the kitchen near the router, into one of the ports which will bring service back to the data cabinet in the garage. There you can install a switch to connect the rest of the hardwired connections. There is a Centric box in the data cabinet but all I think it's doing is converting the fiber drop to inside fiber which goes to the kitchen. The drop may be multimodal fiber and the the inside fiber may be single mode fiber but that's not important. Just know there is a conversion from one type of fiber to another in the data cabinet.

I did one new installation where I terminated all the ethernet cables and installed the ethernet switch and it was pretty simple if you have the tools to terminate and test all the cables. I'm available for consultation for those needing some advice for their specific home.

I'm surprised that the ethernet cables in the garage didn't have connectors and terminated to an ethernet switch given you got the Smart Home Ready package. I guess it's just another cost savings thing and or they want you to pay Centric to come out and do the work? I'm also surprised that Centric is not installing Wi-Fi 7 equipment like Quantum is doing. As you said, Wi-Fi 6 should be sufficient but with a new home Wi-Fi 7 would future proof it for a while.

Just remember if you install your own Wi-Fi 7 mesh system, all you need to do is plug it into the Centric wifi router BUT you need to log into the router and turn off the Centric Wi-Fi and if possible put their router in Transparant Bypass Mode so you aren't double routing. The double routing won't hurt anything but leaving their WiFi On will interfere with your system. You can try to login to their router or try calling them to make the changes. My guess is they will be resistent to making any changes to the stock configuration but I know it can be done. There should be an ID and password on their wifi router and you should be able to login at 192.168.0.1

Hope this helps.

Looking at your picture again, besides the yellow ethernet cable plugging into the Wifi router in the kitchen, is there also a fiber connection? If not, then they may be terminating the fiber in the low voltage cabinet in the garage as you mentioned. A change. Is it possible to post a picture of your data cabinet so we can see what they are doing now. I'm concerned because if the fiber is being terminated in the garage and the router is in the kitchen with no return path to the garage to activate the rest of the ethernet wires, that could be a problem.

I'm really grateful for all the useful information but something doesn't seem right. Maybe we can't see the rest of the connections in the kitchen from your picture?

You are correct; the Smart Home Ready package just gives you the jacks in the rooms and cat6 running to the LVP. You still need to pay Centric (or DIY) to terminate the LVP ends and plug into a switch. (Note that Centric will not just terminate your cables; they insist that you buy their switch and as part of that package, they will terminate, test, and label the cables.)

You can turn off the Centric (actually a Calix) wifi radios from the web GUI, but you won't have access to change the mode to bridge/transparent - you will have to contact Centric to do that.

I am not sure that double routing won't hurt anything. That kinda makes me cringe. An alternative, instead of calling Centric, is to change your mesh to transparent/bridge - easier for the consumer to do on their app (i.e. let the Centric keep doing the routing.)

The correct address they use as default is 192.168.1.1 (I know you just made a typo :smile:)

When I was talking to the Centric tech, he said that device in the LVP is not really an ONT. He called it something else, but I don't remember what he called it. The fiber cable actually runs from that box all the way to your kitchen Centric gateway (look underneath.) The yellow cat6 cable you mentioned runs back to the LVP (to be connected to a switch.) This is so that your hardwire connections, if any, can be plugged in to the same switch and connect to your kitchen gateway. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the verification. In the house I recently worked at this is how it was wired.

So, I believe, the fiber drop coming into the LVP is multi-mode fiber and the thin yellow fiber coming out going to the kitchen is single mode fiber and that "box" does the conversion. It's technically interesting but not relevant since you are getting fiber all the way to the kitchen.

Thanks for the information on the Centric router. I tend to use the router in the equipment I purchase since it's usually better than what the internet provider supplies. But you are correct, If Centric will not put the router in bypass mode, putting your mesh equipment in Access Point mode will also work. I'm just curious once you login to the router, don't you have access to all the controls? Isn't there a way to turn On Bypass mode or is it password protected? I know once you do this, Centric will not be able to see or control the router from their end for troubleshooting so my guess they don't want it in that mode. I know with Quantum when you talk to them about using your own equipment they say just plug it into their router. And it does work but again you are double routing.

I can understand Centric wanting to use their own switch because they might not be familiar with a user provided switch or be trained to troubleshoot it even though mostly all switches are the same unless they are managed. But, myself and some homeowners have the equipment to do the job at half the price but for those who aren't aware at least there is a way to get the job done if they want it. In my opinion, unless you have a specific application, there really isn't any need to hard wire your home with ethernet cables. If you have them connecting your TV and or desktop computers is fine but these new mesh wifi systems give you near wired performance when installed properly.

No, you don't have access to everything; they gimped it. And the documentation also states if you do a restore to default, or a hard reset, that it will just revert to 'controls that a subscriber is allowed to modify.'

I did some research on this "box" in the LVP. It's a Hexatronic NEG20610+ "Customer Subscriber Box v2.4" I believe the cable coming from the ground into this box is SMF, not MMF, because of the distance it has to travel. I want to pry open the box to see if it's an SC connector, but I don't want to risk it and it's not important. The fiber running to the Gateway is probably MMF. So this box is converting from SMF to MMF (but I believe the reverse from what you thought.)

Hey Nerds (speaking directly and complimentary to jrref and ResQMe):

First, thank you both so much; it's very helpful

To supplement what you both stated, I spoke with a technician at Centrix today who confirmed I "have the latest" configuration with the fiber going directly into the kitchen. Since I haven't been down there, I haven't seen the Smart Panel in the garage yet - purposefully avoiding (my?) rather confusing acronym of Low Voltage Panel (or LVP) as I just had our floors replaced and couldn't for the life of me figure out what anyone would run Ethernet cables to the Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring. LMAO.

Anyway, he confirmed the device in the kitchen is both the gateway/router and ONT and I was able to get him to tell me the brand (Calix) as you mention. He also said it was a "U4," which I believe is the Calix GigaSpire ug4 (check my photo against this box). The stated technical specifications on this device are:

The GigaSpire u4g system unites GPON ONT and residential gateway functionality into an integrated system helping you to expand and grow your residential and business Wi-Fi use cases.

Product Attributes​:

* Wi-Fi 6 - 2.4GHz (2x2), 5GHz (2x2)
* Integrated GPON
* GE WAN port
* 2 x GE LAN ports
* USB 2.0 (Type A)
* Managed by Calix Service Cloud

So here's my configuration which I assume is similar to that of other new home owners:

Single-Mode Fiber (SMF) enters the home into the Smart Panel in the garage, terminating in the Hexatronic box providing Fiber to the Home (FTTH).

A Multimode Fiber (MMF) cable connects this box to the Calix GigaSphere u4g located in the kitchen cabinet above the refrigerator.

An Ethernet cable should connect this box back to the Smart Panel and to where the 3 non-terminated Ethernet cables should be, one for each port in the "Smart Home Ready" locations (in mine/most cases: the lanai, the living room, and the master bedroom).

That's the basic setup. Most will want to add a switch - like the Netgear 1 GB 8-port (for $20 on Amazon - to "activate" these ports.

In addition, I plan on building out a Unifi network by:
(1) Upgrading my gateway to WiFi 7
(2) Running Ethernet to drops for POE cameras and a smart doorbell
(3) Adding a NAS so I don't have to pay a monthly subscription to Amazon (Ring) or anyone else

To do that, I'll need to respectively:

(1) Remote into my Centric and minimally turn off WiFi. The technician with whom I spoke today said they "can't" put it in bridge mode, but I really don't want a double-NAT'd system so any recommendations here would be helpful.

(2) Likely work with someone (Galaxy was recommended) to help with the Ethernet runs/drops to the other bedrooms, cameras, and doorbell.

(3) Setup a NAS (Synology) compliant with the Unifi network and cameras to ensure I can record everything...and use streaming media apps like Plex.

Sound correct?

Thanks. You may be right. Normally SMF is used for long runs and MMF for shorter runs. But looking at the PDF you posted it's actually a customer fiber termination box for the fiber drop to the house. Interesting.

Yup, everything you said is correct, IMO. So, since you can't change the Calix to bridge, and Centric is unlikely to do it, I would recommend you leave the Calix to do the routing, and set your mesh (if you plan on adding any) to bridge. Also, do not use a 1GB switch in the LVP. You mentioned you want to upgrade to wifi 7; might as well future-proof yourself and use a 2.5GB switch (or 2.5GB switch with two 10GB SFP+ ports.) Even though Centric is 1GB right now, I'm sure they will increase this eventually.

Is this the FTTH box?

Quantum is now offering 500Mbs, 1Gbs, 2Gbs, 5Gbs and 8Gbs so I would assume Centric will offer faster speeds as well over time if they installed the infrastructure to supply these speeds. But at the end of the day, if you are just streaming and surfing the web 1Gbs should be overkill. But in addition to getting faster internet if you install a NAS then having a faster switch in the LVP is probably a good idea. I've actually upgraded my network to 10Gbs in my home myself, just because.

You need about 5 megabits per second per stream for Hi-Def and 20 megabits per second per stream for 4K. For most people, anything more than about 50 megabits per second nominal download speed is overkill. Paying for more bandwidth than you need is a waste of money. Of course, the minimum offered, typically way in excess of what you need, is the lowest you can go but going beyond that is a waste of money..

Thanks! Great advice on ordering a switch with at least 2.5GB ports - will do.

Curious as to why you would recommend leaving Calix alone and dumbing down my own router? I'm looking at the Unifi Dream Router 7 for reference. I'm sure this is an in depth technical discussion so feel free to summarize, if you can. Is it as simple as the the cost of double NATing outweighing the benefits of added security / features I could use with the DR7?

Yes.

Nice router! I'm not a network guru so there's no deep technical discussion from my end. That's also the reason I'm not a fan of double NATing - I don't want to have to set up, troubleshoot, and maintain a complex network. It's as simple as that - just my preference. Whichever option you choose, definitely turn off the Calix radios, though.

My primary home is still in Naples (the house hasn't sold) and I work from home and my security requirements are extremely high. For that, I use a hardware firewall/router with DPI. I am going to attempt to get Centric to turn off the Calix routing, but if they won't do it, I can set my firewall/router to bridge and not lose any features.

Here is some information on double NATing. At the end of the day, if you are not gaming it shouldn't be a problem and to be honest, in the home market, it's done all the time when people want to use their own equipment. Also, when you call Centric, let us know what they say. They may not be so resistent to put the Calix in bypass mode. The only downside for them is in bypass mode they can't see the router any more when troubleshooting and it won't take any more updates when Centric pushes them out. I'm kind of surprised they lock out some of the router settings but we are very lucky to have a fiber internet option. As I mentioned, with Quantum there are no restrictions once you log into the router but there was a time where there was a firmware bug when you put their router in Bypass mode so I had to leave it and was double NATing and never had a problem or saw any real difference.

Just a moment...

I agree, it shouldn't be an issue, but ideally we should be able to setup our Wi-Fi the way we want, right? Kudos to Quantum for that. I'll keep you posted on what Centric say about configuring to bridge mode (they've already hinting they won't do it, that some admin settings are locked).

I'm a beginner at this but would like to setup a VLAN for my IOT and guest devices and the UDR 7 makes that a breeze.

HERE'S A GREAT VIDEO from Dave's Garage a year about in which he - an self-proclaimed Unifi "fanboy" - configures this router.

I wonder how much of this, if any, I couldn't do without having the Centric gateway bridged...

Well, I’ve read this entire thread and still have some questions. I drove by Seabreeze rec center the other day and saw a huge spool, probably 8 feet in diameter, of an orange wire / conduit / not sure. Also workers are going around and painting the street to mark where they are going to do something (see photo). One of the neighbors said Quantum is installing fiber optic, which would be awesome.

Thing is, our house is 20 years old, and we don’t have any kind of ethernet cables running from the garage to anywhere in the house. Only RG-59 or RG-6 cables.

I’d like to switch to Quantum because xfinity will be raising my rates later this year (no more promo rate).


What is the recommended installation for houses that have no ethernet cables running from the garage?

Thanks in advance.

In new fiber installations the recommended installation is the standard installation. There are not many options. Quantum will run the main fiber down the street installing individual terminals in small in-ground boxes somewhere on the lawns in front of each home. When you order the service, Quantum will then run a fiber optic cable from the terminal on your front lawn to the side of your home. Quantum has the layouts of each home and will try to run the cable on the side of the home to the nearest front room. From there they install the standard fiber slack box on the side of your home and will drill through the wall to get inside the home. Inside the home they install the smartNid (ont and router) covering that hole from the outside and then install the Wi-Fi 7 main pod next to it. Because there are no ethernet jacks in these older homes, there is nothing to connect into so everything is WiFi. The main WiFi pod has a 4 port switch so the homeowner can run their own ethernet cables to jacks around the home if they want. In all my experience so far, the main WiFi pod usually covers the entire home and if necessary Quantum will install an extender. One trick is to install the main WiFi pod on top of a shelf or on a desk, the higher the better in the room where they bring in the fiber instead of the default mounting on the wall. See the attached pictures. You will need a longer cable than what the Quantum tech has on the truck to do this generally so if you order the service through me I provide that cable free of charge and install it for you on the day of the installation. If not you can go on to Amazon and order and install it yourself.

In Bonita Villas and in the surronding areas Quantum has done this install and from my experience they work well. Of course, if you are a teckie and want the best Wi-Fi and internet experience possible you can purchase and install your own mesh system from Orbi, TP-Link or Amazon Eero and or have an electrician run an ethernet cable where ever you want it but so far, I don't feel it's necessary unless you have a special situation.

Hope this helps.

...adding to jjref, you may also want to give Galaxy Home Solutions a call: (352) 748-4868.

Smart Home Technology Solutions | Galaxy Home Solutions Inc.

Thanks jjref. I’ll PM you with some detailed questions for my particular situation. Appreciate the help.

Actually, I've delt with Galaxy home solutions and they are great as electricians but their low voltage team can basically install ethernet wires for you which you may or may not need. I hate to say this but I wouldn't go to them for network advice. For that, I and several here on this site can help you better since we probably have more experience in that area. I also know trusted people who can professionally install network systems for you if needed.

If you live here in the Villages, remember almost all homes are single floor homes and not multifloor like where we used to live, which makes these new Wi-Fi Mesh systems easy to install and get 100% coverage without a lot of work. You can also use Ubiquiti and set up an access point system but in my personal opinion that's way overkill unless you have a special situation like you want a locally hosted camera and video door bell system that they offer or want to "play" with the ubiquiti system and learn more about networking as a hobby. There are pros and cons to both systems and each person's home and specific needs may require one system vs another. In most situations I've found a good Wi-Fi 7 router and mesh system placed in the proper location will give you close to 100% coverage in homes here in the Villages. I hope this helps.

I responded to your PM in detail.
Thanks!